Fresh earthquake in Karonga kills 3, injures 200, displaces 300, 000
Two strong earthquakes hit Karonga district on early Sunday killing three people, injuring about 200 people and displacing thousands of residents.
The District Commissioner (DC) Gasten Macheka confirmed the incidents, noting that many people have panicked.
“Yes, we had this huge earthquake early this morning and so far I can confirm three deaths and about 200 injuries,” said the Karonga District Commissioner.
Last month, a quake killed a one-year-old and injured two people.
Karonga District Hospital officials confirmed to Nyasa Times that they are treating about 170 victims hit by the quake on Sunday. They are being treated with various degrees from broken bones to skin lacerations.
Some people with critical injuries have been evacuated to Mzuzu central hospital about 230 kilometres away.
According to Dr. Leonard Kalindekafe, the Director of the Malawi’s Department of Geological Surveys, the earthquake occurred at 1.26 local time (23.26 GMT).
”This was a massive one, the biggest to hit the area so far,” Kalindekafe said.
The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) asked government to declare Karonga tremors a national disaster.
The rights campaigners appealed for stakeholders especially from the civil and private sector to come in and help the victims in one way or the other.
CHRR condemned Paladin Africa who are mining uranium in the district for not supporting the victims.
“Paladin have been spectators in this disaster, they have been observers while communities have been traumatized with the earthquake, their houses being destroyed.
“Paladin has shown they do not care about the people of Karonga welfare. Paladin would have taken a lead in helping the people such as providing tents, clean water, medicine and other amenities to shown they care for the people and not only care for mining uranium only,” said CHRR head, Undule Mwakasungula.
However, Paladin spokesman Neville Huxman said output at Kayelekera uranium mine was not affected by the quakes and production continued as normal.
“There has not been any impact at all. The mine is designed to withstand earth movements greater than what is the current range,” he said.
The rights watchdog pointed out that the earthquake has drawn a number of lessons for the nation.
“One as a country it seems we are not prepared for such natural disasters, it seems we do not have contingency or emergency measures to deal with such eventualities. This has been shown with slow or luke warm reaction by the government in disaster,” said CHRR.
The organisation said government should declare the northern region border district with Tanzania as disaster area in order to motivate more donors support
The government earlier this week asked for help from the public to help cater for the displaced by providing food, blankets and tents.
In 1989, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake killed at least nine people and injured 100 in central Malawi and made 50,000 homeless, according to the USGS.
Tagged with: earthquake, Gasten Macheka, Karonga
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